Lily Allen is lashing out at an unfaithful former partner on her scathing new album, โWest End Girl,โ out Oct. 24.
Following reports last year that the British singer, 40, had separated from โStranger Thingsโ star David Harbour, 50, People reported in February that the two had officially called it quits after four years of marriage.
Now, on โWest End Girl,โ her first album in more than seven years, Allen chronicles a relationshipโs bitter breakdown caused by a partnerโs cheating. Across 14 mostly downtempo tracks, Allen weaves together the story of a partner who led a โdouble lifeโ and violated an โopenโ marriage code.
On the somber โSleepwalking,โ Allenโs protagonist describes being convinced by her partner that their problems are her fault.
โโWhy arenโt we f—–, baby?โ / Yeah, thatโs what you said,โ she sings. โBut you let me think it was me in my head / And nothing to do with them girls in your bed.โ
Allen is more forceful on the blistering โP—- Palace,โ referring to the person who inspired the biting track as a โsex addict.โ She describes finding a shopping bag filled with various โsex toysโ that the man she is calling out used while he lived a โdouble life.โ
The Grammy nominee doesnโt shy away from naming names in some cases. On โTennis,โ she describes how an ex nervously โgrabbedโ his phone back after showing her an Instagram photo.
โIf it was just sex I wouldnโt be jealous,โ she sings in the chorus, adding, โYou wonโt play with me and who the f— is Madeline?โ
The mystery woman pops up again in a separate song Allen titles โMadeline.โ She sings directly to her partnerโs lover on the heartbreaking track, asking how long their affair has been happening. She explains to Madeline how her ex broke the rules of their โarrangement,โ which allowed him to sleep with other partners as long as he paid for the sex and the women were โstrangers.โ
โBut youโre not a stranger, Madeline,โ she sings.
Allen and Harbour tied the knot in September 2020 at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and he shared photos from their special day on Instagram. The two met the year prior on the celebrity dating app Raya, according to People.
Harbour was the stepfather of Allenโs two daughters, Ethel Mary, who turns 14 in November, and Marnie Rose, 12. Allen shares both children with ex-husband Sam Cooper.
In January 2025, without naming Harbour, Allen revealed on her BBC podcast โMiss Me?โ that she was trying โto be presentโ for her daughters despite โspiralingโ while going through a โtough period.โ
โWe are a support network for each other and encourage each other to talk about our feelings but I think the main thing is telling them weโre going to get through it and be fine,โ she said.